The landscape is a diverse and varied place. It can be flat, hilly, mountainous, empty, or busy. Therefore, it is unrealistic to think your camera's native aspect ratio will suit every scene you shoot. Aspect ratio is the term used to describe the dimensions of an image by comparing its width and height....
Most photographs are shot from head height, so one very effective way to catch the viewer's attention is to break with convention and shoot from a different viewpoint-creating a "worm's eye" view of the world, for instance. ...
This assignment is all about capturing the "blue hour" - the period of twilight in the morning and evening when the ambient light takes on a natural blue hue. The cool tones at this time lend an atmosphere of mystery and romance to the scene/ It's probably fair to say that cityscapes look their most attractive at this time. ...
Most landscape photographers are instinctively drawn to water, with the sea, rivers, waterfalls, and lakes offering many opportunities for great images. Water can help imply motion, reflect light and colour, and create mirror-like reflections. A reflective surface can dramatically enhance a landscape image, particularly at sunrise or sunset when the colour in the sky is mirrored in the foreground....
More often than not, landscape photographs are devoid of people, presenting an image of the outdoors as an untouched wilderness. While such landscapes do exist, the majority of the locations we visit are actually quite busy. So we often wait for long periods for people to leave the view, or alternatively we clone them out of the shot in post-processing....
Who can resist a sunset? It's the day's grand finale, and with the right conditions the rich colours and dramatic lighting combine to create potentially stunning images. Shooting a sunset might sound like a simple assignment. However, there's more to it then simply being in the right place at the right time....
The most photogenic light typically occurs at daybreak and sunset, the so-called 'golden hours'. Therefore, if you want to capture quality landscapes that ooze with mood, set your alarm early. During spring and summer, this can require getting up painfully early. However, you will typically find locations are quiet - for example, sandy beaches will be free of footprints and no-one will get in the way of your shots....
Our eyes are designed to locate and follow lines, whether they are natural or artificial, leading us instinctively to explore the scene in an image. A lead-in line is a simple visual trick that takes advantage of this to draw and direct the viewer's gaze into the frame....
The essence of composition is to select elements from the scene in front of you and organise them in the image frame in a harmonious way. It is important to direct the attention of the viewer of your image into the frame and towards the main subject, or, with a landscape image (which may not have a 'subject' as such) to the focal point of the composition....